Low-tech footrest can help prevent lower-back pain

People who stand at work for long periods of time might be able to avoid lower back pain by intermittently using a footrest, says a new study by researchers at the University of Waterloo.

The researchers tested whether cyclically elevating one leg on a footrest intermittently for one minute, then putting it on the ground for three minutes for almost an hour and a half, helped prevent or alleviate lower back pain. They found that of the 12 participants – six who were pre-disposed to developing lower back pain during standing, and six who were not – only one reported lower-back pain.